The majority of the UK believes that secondary ticketing websites are a “rip-off”

New research has revealed how the majority of the UK believe that secondary ticketing websites are a “rip off”, with music fans paying hugely inflated prices for tickets to in-demand gigs.

The survey, commissioned by anti-touting initiative FanFair Alliance and supported by See Tickets and The Ticket Factory , found that 80% of the British public believe that they’re being fleeced by secondary ticketing websites such as ViaGoGo and GetMeIn.

It was also revealed that ticket touting could have a huge impact on the health of live music in the UK too, with buyers of high-cost tickets being less likely to spend money on other live events and merchandise purchases at gigs.

At the most recent estimation, the UK’s ticket resale market was valued at £1bn per year, of which £500m can be attributed to music events.

Survey respondents also revealed that they often found it hard to distinguish between authorised primary ticket sellers and unauthorised secondary sites.

Adam Webb, the campaigns manager for FanFair Alliance, said: “The debate around online ticket touting raises strong passions, so it’s important that the wider music business, politicians and regulators can get a sense of what the general public think.

“The message from this research appears to be pretty clear: UK audiences are fed up. The model of secondary ticketing promoted by Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In! and Seatwave is causing them very real concern – albeit, they are not against the concept of ticket resale. The majority would like the option to resell a ticket for the price they paid for it, and they’re in favour of measures to curb mass-scale online ticket touting. On that front, FanFair urges legislators and regulators to accelerate their endeavours to tackle the most egregious practices of the secondary market.”

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The research was also supported by face value ticket exchange site Twickets, who have been heralded for providing fans with an affordable way of getting tickets to in-demand gigs.

Richard Davies, the CEO of Twickets, said: “We’re really happy to support this survey from FanFair. For too long, fans have been faced with a confusing and often deceiving secondary marketplace. We’re obviously very aware of the acute need for face value ticket resale and it’s great to see extensive research now to back it up. The live music business is an incredibly important part of the music industry as a whole, and a significant revenue generator to our wider economy, and we call upon the Government to protect its future, before it’s too late. We hope that this survey is a step towards putting an end to resale for profit.”